Gilani Says Pakistan Needs Aid Pledges Met for War-Torn Regions, Bloomberg, 5 January 2010
EXCERPT: "Pakistan needs the international community to fulfill aid pledges to help the country develop war-torn regions and win the battle against extremists, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said. Rebuilding the northwestern regions of Swat and South Waziristan after the army’s offensive against pro-Taliban fighters is imperative for 'winning hearts and minds' of the people, the official Associated Press of Pakistan cited Gilani as saying in Islamabad yesterday. The support of the people is crucial as the army continues its biggest operation against Taliban fighters in South Waziristan, Gilani told a meeting reviewing progress in settling people driven from their homes during the conflict. A 25-member group known as the Friends of Democratic Pakistan, which includes the U.S., U.K., Japan and Saudi Arabia, pledged $5.3 billion in aid in April. More than 2 million people were displaced by fighting in Swat last year and the United Nations estimates that more than 280,000 fled their homes in South Waziristan since fighting began in October. The support of provincial authorities and civil society helped the success of the military offensives in Swat and nearby Malakand district, Gilani said. Most of the people displaced have returned to their home towns and villages since the 10-week operation in Swat in North West Frontier Province ended in July. . . The government says the battle against the Taliban in regions bordering Afghanistan is costing $8.5 billion a year."
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Related articles:
Economics and extremism, DAWN, 5 January 2010
Taliban torch village in Arakzai, The Long War Journal, 5 January 2010
The other terror war: Pentagon eyes foreign aid to fight al Qaeda, FOX News, 4 January 2010
UK disbursed 47m pounds to Pakistan this month, The News International, 28 December 2009
Related posts:
IMF approves $1.2 billion in aid, 23 December 2009
Germany commits to more aid for Pakistan, 1 December 2009
Australia increases aid, provides $5 million for displaced persons, 23 November 2009
UK aid to help Pakistan recover from conflict, 19 November 2009
Japan's aid: New strategy in support of counter-terrorism, 13 November 2009
Obama signs US aid to Pakistan, 15 October 2009
